--- title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 61" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-61" lang: "en" --- # Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 61 > वनं गते धर्मरते रामे रमयतां वरे। > कौसल्या रुदती चार्ता भर्तारमिदमब्रवीत्॥ १॥ Śrī Rāma, who was devoted to righteousness and was the foremost among those who bring delight to the people, having departed for the forest, Kausalyā, who was feeling distressed due to separation from her son spoke weeping to her husband as follows : (1) > यद्यपि त्रिषु लोकेषु प्रथितं ते महद् यशः। > सानुक्रोशो वदान्यश्च प्रियवादी च राघवः॥ २॥ > कथं नरवरश्रेष्ठ पुत्रौ तौ सह सीतया। > दुःखितौ सुखसंवृद्धौ वने दुःखं सहिष्यतः॥ ३॥ “Although your great glory is extended through all the three worlds, and it is well-known that you, a scion of Raghu, are full of compassion and generous and speak kindly to all, you never paused to think how your aforesaid two sons, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, with Sītā, who have been brought up in ease, will endure suffering in the forest when faced with hardships, O jewel among the foremost of men ! (2-3) > सा नूनं तरुणी श्यामा सुकुमारी सुखोचिता। > कथमुष्णं च शीतं च मैथिली विसहिष्यते॥ ४॥ “Indeed, how will that young and delicate-bodied princess of Mithilā, who is still about sixteen years of age and is deserving of comforts, bear heat and cold? (4) > भुक्त्वाशनं विशालाक्षी सूपदंशान्वितं शुभम्। > वन्यं नैवारमाहारं कथं सीतोपभोक्ष्यते॥ ५॥ “How, having partaken of a rich diet with delicious sauces and other seasoned articles, will the large-eyed Sītā live on meals consisting of wild rice? (5) > गीतवादित्रनिर्घोषं श्रुत्वा शुभसमन्विता। > कथं क्रव्यादसिंहानां शब्दं श्रोष्यत्यशोभनम्॥ ६॥ “How, having listened to the sweet strains of vocal and instrumental music, will Sītā, who is richly endowed with auspicious qualities, bear to hear the unpleasant roar of lions, animals that feed on flesh? (6) > महेन्द्रध्वजसंकाशः क्व नु शेते महाभुजः। > भुजं परिघसंकाशमुपाधाय महाबलः॥ ७॥ “Where does the mighty-armed prince, Rāma—who is possessed of great might and (in delighting all) resembles the banner raised in honour of the mighty Indra on the 12th of the bright half of Bhādrapada as a mark of festivities—repose placing his arm, stout as an iron club, under his head for support? (7) > पद्मवर्णं सुकेशान्तं पद्मनिःश्वासमुत्तमम्। > कदा द्रक्ष्यामि रामस्य वदनं पुष्करेक्षणम्॥ ८॥ “When shall I behold again the exquisite countenance of Rāma, which possesses the hue of a lotus leaf and is decked with lovely locks, nay, whose breath emits the fragrance of a lotus and which is possessed of lotus-like eyes? (8) > वज्रसारमयं नूनं हृदयं मे न संशयः। > अपश्यन्त्या न तं यद् वै फलतीदं सहस्रधा॥ ९॥ “Surely my heart is made of a substance as hard as adamant : there is no doubt about it, as is clear from the fact that it does not break into a thousand pieces even while I do not behold him ! (9) > यत् त्वया करुणं कर्म व्यपोह्य मम बान्धवाः। > निरस्ताः परिधावन्ति सुखार्हाः कृपणा वने॥ १०॥ “Indeed, it was a cruel act on your part that, expelled by you, my near and dear ones, who were deserving of comforts, knock about in a wretched condition in the forest, leaving the city ! (10) > यदि पञ्चदशे वर्षे राघवः पुनरेष्यति। > जह्याद् राज्यं च कोशं च भरतो नोपलक्ष्यते॥ ११॥ “Even if Rāma, a scion of Raghu, returns to Ayodhyā in the fifteenth year, it is not expected that Bharata will relinquish the sovereignty and the exchequer. (11) > भोजयन्ति किल श्राद्धे केचित् स्वानेव बान्धवान्। > ततः पश्चात् समीक्षन्ते कृतकार्या द्विजोत्तमान्॥ १२॥ “It is a well-known fact that some householders feed their own relations (daughter’s sons and others) on the occasion of a Śrāddha (a ceremony in honour and for the benefit of dead relatives on their death anniversary and at other times) and their object in the shape of making special gifts in their favour having been accomplished, attend to the foremost of other Brāhmaṇas invited for the Śrāddha, afterwards. (12) > तत्र ये गुणवन्तश्च विद्वांसश्च द्विजातयः। > न पश्चात् तेऽभिमन्यन्ते सुधामपि सुरोपमाः॥ १३॥ “Of them, such Brāhmaṇās as are men of character, learned and godlike do not accept afterwards even food which is delicious as ambrosia. (13) > ब्राह्मणेष्वपि वृत्तेषु भुक्तशेषं द्विजोत्तमाः। > नाभ्युपेतुमलं प्राज्ञाः शृङ्गच्छेदमिवर्षभाः॥ १४॥ “Even though it may be Brāhmaṇas that have finished their meals in the first instance, great Brāhmaṇas, who are highly enlightened, would not consent to partake of what is left after others have finished their meal, any more than bulls of excellent breed would brook the severance of their horns. (14) > एवं कनीयसा भ्रात्रा भुक्तं राज्यं विशाम्पते। > भ्राता ज्येष्ठो वरिष्ठश्च किमर्थं नावमन्यते॥ १५॥ “Why then will Rāma, who is the eldest and most deserving brother, not likewise disdain a kingship already enjoyed by a younger brother, O ruler of the people? (15) > न परेणाहृतं भक्ष्यं व्याघ्रः खादितुमिच्छति। > एवमेव नरव्याघ्रः परलीढं न मंस्यते॥ १६॥ “A tiger would not partake of the food brought by another; even so, Rāma, a tiger among men, would not set his heart on that which has been enjoyed by another. (16) > हविराज्यं पुरोडाशः कुशा यूपाश्च खादिराः। > नैतानि यातयामानि कुर्वन्ति पुनरध्वरे॥ १७॥ “The wise do not use for a second time in a sacrifice the following already used in another sacrifice, viz., sacrificial food, ghee, Puroḍāśa (a mass of ground rice rounded into a kind of cake, usually divided into pieces placed on receptacles and offered as an oblation in fire), blades of Kuśa grass and sacrificial posts of Khadira wood. (17) > तथा ह्यात्तमिदं राज्यं हृतसारां सुरामिव। > नाभिमन्तुमलं रामो नष्टसोममिवाध्वरम्॥ १८॥ “Even so, Rāma too will not be able to accept this sovereignty already enjoyed by Bharata, any more than one would set one’s heart on wine deprived of its essence or on the remnants of the beverage called Soma, which is drunk during sacrificial performances. (18) > नैवंविधमसत्कारं राघवो मर्षयिष्यति। > बलवानिव शार्दूलो वालधेरभिमर्शनम्॥ १९॥ “Rāma (a scion of Raghu) will not suffer such indignity any more than a mighty tiger would brook the twisting of its tail. (19) > नैतस्य सहिता लोका भयं कुर्युर्महामृधे। > अधर्मं त्विह धर्मात्मा लोकं धर्मेण योजयेत्॥ २०॥ “All the worlds combined against him would not be able to cause terror into him even in a major conflict. He, however, did not wrest the throne of Ayodhyā, even though capable of doing so, because, his mind being intent on righteousness, he is vowed to lead even unrighteous people towards righteousness by setting a noble example before them. (20) > नन्वसौ काञ्चनैर्बाणैर्महावीर्यो महाभुजः। > युगान्त इव भूतानि सागरानपि निर्दहेत्॥ २१॥ “That mighty-armed prince, possessed as he is of extraordinary might, can, if he so wills, even dry up the oceans by his shafts with gilded feathers even as the god of destruction dissolves the elements at the time of universal dissolution. (21) > स तादृशः सिंहबलो वृषभाक्षो नरर्षभः। > स्वयमेव हतः पित्रा जलजेनात्मजो यथा॥ २२॥ “That jewel among men, who is so powerful as indicated above, nay, who, possesses the strength of a lion and has eyes big as those of a bull, has been ruined by his own father even as the brood of a fish are devoured by the fish itself. (22) > द्विजातिचरितो धर्मः शास्त्रे दृष्टः सनातनैः। > यदि ते धर्मनिरते त्वया पुत्रे विवासिते॥ २३॥ “A son, who is deeply devoted to righteousness, having been exiled by you, it is problematic whether the path of virtue discovered by the ancient sages and followed by the twice-born really exists in your eyes. (23) > गतिरेका पतिर्नार्या द्वितीया गतिरात्मजः। > तृतीया ज्ञातयो राजंश्चतुर्थी नैव विद्यते॥ २४॥ “The main support of a woman is her husband, the second is her son, the third is her kindred; there is no fourth support at all, O king ! (24) > तत्र त्वं मम नैवासि रामश्च वनमाहितः। > न वनं गन्तुमिच्छामि सर्वथा हा हता त्वया॥ २५॥ “Of the aforementioned three supports, you, my husband, are surely no support for me inasmuch as you are under the thumb of my co-wife; while Rāma has been sent away to the forest. I do not wish to proceed to the forest since I cannot live apart from you. In this way, alas ! I have been utterly destroyed by you. (25) > हतं त्वया राष्ट्रमिदं सराज्यं > हताः स्म सर्वाः सह मन्त्रिभिश्च। > हता सपुत्रास्मि हताश्च पौराः > सुतश्च भार्या च तव प्रहृष्टौ॥ २६॥ “This kingdom of Kosala, alongwith other neighbouring kingdoms, has been ruined by you. Nay, we all (your people) alongwith the counsellors have been destroyed by you. I stand doomed with my son, Rāma. The citizens too have been ruined. Only your son, Bharata, and wife, Kaikeyī, feel greatly delighted.” (26) > इमां गिरं दारुणशब्दसंहितां > निशम्य रामेति मुमोह दुःखितः। > ततः स शोकं प्रविवेश पार्थिवः > स्वदुष्कृतं चापि पुनस्तथास्मरत्॥ २७॥ Distressed to hear this condemnation of himself by Kausalyā, couched in harsh words, the Emperor fell into a swoon, crying “O Rāma !” He then got plunged in grief and also vividly recalled once more his past misdeed responsible for his present calamity. (27) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.